‘Imagine a car with the drivability of a hatchback and the ruggedness of a sports utility vehicle (SUV)’. This is the pitch which Japanese auto maker Nissan is making for its latest car – Redi-Go under the Datsun brand.

To be launched in June, this will be the third offering from Datsun in India (after the GO and the GO+). The Redi-Go will be competing with the likes of market leader Maruti Suzuki India’s Alto 800, the Eon from Hyundai Motor India and the Kwid from Nissan’s alliance partner Renault India.

Made in India , for India The latest car from the Datsun stable has been fully designed and developed in India with 98 per cent localisation. Datsun says that the Redi-Go will be India’s first ‘Urban-Cross’, a car that takes the best features of a crossover and mixes them with the major attributes of an urban hatchback. It combines the roominess, best in class ground clearance (185mm) and sheer fun of a crossover and blends that with zippy driving and fuel efficiency of an affordable compact hatchback.

The team of Japanese designers behind the car have given the vehicle a flowing style, creating the perception that it is in motion even when it is standing still.

Catchy styling The company says with fresh, eye-catching styling, the Datsun Redi-Go boasts striking character lines along the bodywork. The distinctive ‘D-cut grille’, headlamps and rear lamps are combined to create a sense of dynamism and sophistication.

A first in its class, the Redi-Go will also have features like day-time running LED lights.

“The Datsun Redi-Go lives up to its name by being a lively, all-action car that is ready to go wherever you want to venture,” says the company adding that in a sea of look-a-like hatchbacks, the new modern and distinctive looks of the car will help it stand out from the crowd.

“Aptly called, Yukan in Japanese (brave and bold), the Redi-Go’s design reflects the sense of individuality of the people who buy the car: confident go-getters who know where they want to be in life,” Vincent Cobee, Global Head of Datsun, said while unveiling car on Thursday.

“The tall body structure enabled engineers to deliver a spacious, bright interior and high driving position that is beyond expectations for a car in this class,” a Datsun statement said. On the visibility, the Redi-Go has high eye point to help the driver to be aware of the road situation and feel confident behind the wheel. An expansive cabin said to express a sense of freedom, at the same time illustrating the car’s practicality and modernity.

Proven platform The Redi-Go is based on the versatile common module family (CMF-A) platform from the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the same platform used for the Kwid, which was launched in September last year by Renault.

Talking about the engine, the Datsun statement mentioned that the Redi-Go is powered by an all-new, fuel-efficient 0.8L (800cc), three-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. For the suspension, the new set up is said to be capable of offering a balance between handling, ride comfort and manoeuvrability, the company added.

The Redi-Go is expected to be priced between ₹2.50 lakh to ₹3.50 lakh, and considering that it has a lot of similarities, including the shared platform, with the Kwid, the Redi-Go can be expected to give a mileage of over 25kmpl (Kwid delivers 25.17kmpl as per test conditions).

However, the competition is so intense in this segment, with the market-leader Alto clocking around 18,000 units a month on an average, one has to see how Datsun fares with the Redi-Go in the year ahead.

Just two years after the brand entered the Indian market, the company has again embarked on an expansion, which may yet be hampered by the lack of company-owned sales and touch points in many Indian cities.